Market Statistics

EPLF total sales 2018

The EPLF® publishes annual statistics - generally issued in time for the Domotex in January - on total sales for the previous year. These data reported by the ordinary members (producers) are collected on a quarterly basis and summed up at the end of the year. The Association publishes the following information only, all other information being confidential and intended for Association members only.

EPLF total sales 2018:

455 Mio. m²

Laminate flooring market down in 2018: Total sales of 455 million m2 – Renewed growth particularly in Latin America and Asia

In 2018, manufacturers within the EPLF association achieved worldwide sales of laminate flooring made in Europe totalling 455 million m2 (2017: 477 million m2, i.e. minus 4.6 %). This figure shows that the global laminate market is slowing down in some regions, while maintaining its position at a high level on a global scale. The EPLF “home market” of Western Europe continued to decline in 2018, whilst Latin America and Asia registered the biggest growth. While North America showed a downward trend in 2018, the market in Eastern Europe remained stable.In 2017, manufacturers within the EPLF association achieved worldwide sales of laminate flooring made in Europe totaling 477 million m2 (2016: 477 million m2). This figure shows that the global laminate market is maintaining its position at a high level. The EPLF “home market” of Western Europe continued to decline in 2017, whilst Asia again registered the biggest growth. However, North America and Latin America also showed an upward trend in 2017, and in Eastern Europe the Russian market in particular saw gains.

2018 sales in Western Europe

In Western Europe (including Turkey), total sales for 2018 reached 225 million m2 (Previous Year 243 million m2), which represents a drop of 7.3% compared to the previous year. Germany remains by far the major single market in Central Europe with 52 million m2 (PY 57 million m2) – albeit with an 8.3% decline caused by the continuing trend towards substitution with alternative flooring types.

France continues to occupy second place in Europe, demonstrating a slight decline for 2018 with 36 million m2 (PY 37.6 million m2). Again the United Kingdom could not continue its positive trend for EPLF members: a figure of 29.8 million m2 (PY 33.8 million m2) was recorded for 2018, a minus of 11.8%. This still puts the UK in third place in Western Europe ahead of Turkey, where association revenues continued to decline in 2018: sales figures for Turkey fell by 18.2% down to 20.4 million m² (PY 24.9 million m²). The Netherlands stands in fifth place with slightly increased sales figures of 18.3 million m² (PY 19.7 million m²). Again, Spain follows on behind at a quite stable level of 16.5 million m² (PY just under 17 million m²).

2018 sales in Eastern Europe

For Eastern Europe, the sales in 2018 could not follow the upward trend of the previous years. This region is nevertheless still a major growth market for EPLF manufacturers – at approx. 128 million m2 (PY 128 million m2), European laminate manufacturers there achieved again a stable result in 2018. The EPLF has been aware that in 2017 just under 28 million m² of laminate produced by Russian member companies have not been accounted for in the statistics for various reasons. In 2018, EPLF members in Russia reported sales of 39 million m² (PY 36 million m²), which corresponds to a growth rate of 10.6%. Poland achieved more than 29 million m² in 2018 (PY more than 30 million m²), a steady result. Romania exhibited a slightly weaker result with 11 million m2 (PY 13.2 million m²). Behind them, in the same order as before, are: Ukraine with 7.6 million m² (PY 7.4 million m²), a growth rate of 4%, Hungary at 7 million m² (PY 6.5 million m²) and Bulgaria with 4.4 million m² (PY 5 million m²).

2018 sales in North America

North America continues to be a strong region for sales of European laminate flooring, but in 2018 the laminate flooring sales in Canada turned out to be quite weak: Therefore total sales for North America only reached 44.3 million m2 (PY 49 million m2), around 10.4% less was sold there in 2018 than in the previous year. At around 30.7 million m2 for 2018 (PY 32 million m2), the USA saw a slight minus of 2.4%, whilst Canada recorded just under 13.6 million m² for 2018 (PY 18 million m²), which means a decline of 24.5%.

2018 sales in Asia

In Asia the EPLF producers reached total sales for 2018 of approx. 30 million m² (PY 29 million m²), thereby gaining an increase over the previous year of around 2.8%. Undisputedly in first place again for Asia in 2018 was China (including Hong Kong) where 8.9 million m2 were sold (PY 9.6 million m²), albeit representing a minus of approx. 7.2% over the previous year. The EPLF has seen very pleasing growth in Kazakhstan, where figures have only been gathered since 2016: In 2018, 4 million m2 (PY 3.6 million m2) were sold here, an increase of 11%. Israel notched up 2.3 million m² (PY 2.2 million m2,), Saudi Arabia sales grow to 2.9 million m² (PY 2.7 million m2), followed by Uzbekistan with nearly 2.1 million m² (PY 0.8 million m2,), Taiwan with 1.7 million m2 (PY just under 1.8 million m2), and Azerbaijan with a rise to 1.6 million m2 (PY 0.9 million m2). Meanwhile, laminate also seems to gain a foothold in the gigantic Indian market: In 2018, EPLF members achieved sales of 1.6 million m² (PY 1.4 million m²).

2018 sales in Latin America

The Latin America region is again managing to increase its EPLF sales statistics: 2018 saw a 4.7% growth with sales of 18.5 million m2 (PY 17.7 million m2). Figures for Chile, the largest single market, rose by 5% compared with the previous year and came to 8.1 million m² (PY 7.7 million m²). Mexico recorded 3.9 million m² (PY 4.3 million m²), Columbia registered 2.1 million m² (PY 1.6 million m²), only figures for Argentina dropped to 1.5 million m² (PY 2.1 million m²), which is due to the worsening economic climate in the country.